IMSA IMSA 2025

[broadrun96]

Based on that neither was let go or given a smaller role I would venture GM and employee mutual decision over being replaced for a gain to the programs. Nor would I think either moving would be a sign there's any concern about them being shuttered any time soon

[seanyb505]

Compared to Toyota's recent moves, this seemed like the motorsport experience was a stepping stone for the employees. In my opinion these shorter stint folks are rounding out their resume as they seek to ascend in the company.

[joeb]

There is a test at Daytona this month and the Valkyrie will be there!

https://racer.com/2024/11/01/aston-m...st-at-daytona/

[GT3_Fan]

The running costs for IMSA in 2025 must be insane. I wonder if it might be a breaking point. I can see 2026 sked being different. If you are GTP then expect that I guess. LMP2 has a spec car and gets a lighter schedule which makes them the most cost effective these days.

I think GTD can improve. Probably a lighter schedule for them is needed. My suggestion is don't have GTD Am at Petit. I suggested for a long time that Petit LM should be just GTP and GTD Pro only (with guest GTD Am entries if they wish to come race with red number panes). GTD Pro could take off Indy or something extra in the spring. Good news is that most or all the manufacturers are represented in both Pro and Am.

So this reduces running costs and makes some races have smaller grids which could have less safety cars.

[JT240Z]

Leave the Petit alone. It's the season finally and all classes must be represented. As for Indy, I wouldn't be too upset if they just removed it from the schedule completely.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by GT3_Fan

The running costs for IMSA in 2025 must be insane. I wonder if it might be a breaking point. I can see 2026 sked being different. If you are GTP then expect that I guess. LMP2 has a spec car and gets a lighter schedule which makes them the most cost effective these days.

I think GTD can improve. Probably a lighter schedule for them is needed. My suggestion is don't have GTD Am at Petit. I suggested for a long time that Petit LM should be just GTP and GTD Pro only (with guest GTD Am entries if they wish to come race with red number panes). GTD Pro could take off Indy or something extra in the spring. Good news is that most or all the manufacturers are represented in both Pro and Am.

So this reduces running costs and makes some races have smaller grids which could have less safety cars.

Absolutely THE single fastest way to remove GTD Am from the series is to drop them on a 3 driver track. That's not ever gonna happen and likely the dumbest suggestion for how to 'improve' the series I've heard in a while

[flatlandsman]

But hey, you are entitled to your opinion, as is he, but never mind, you just say what you think.

[JT240Z]

Ya, but GT3_Fan's opinion sucks. He does like to change events he's never attended for silly reasons.

[chernaudi]

PLM was for all IMSA classes (and ACO classes) when Don Panoz established it in 1998 as the penultimate round for the '98 IMSA GT Championship and pilot race for the ALMS. And unless IMSA defaults completely to ACO/FIA regs, it, Daytona and Sebring will be the closest we'll be getting to having Le Mans style sportscar racing in North America.


And yes, the preponderance of enduros does jack up the budget. I already posted in another thread that the factory Audi Sport program for the Audi R10 in the ALMS in 2006-2008 was $15 million USD for the program. That was for a two car team with fully proprietary cars and in a more open form of the LMP1/LMH/GTP rules cycle (though Audi Sport's overall sportscar budget was much bigger than that if you include testing, Le Mans and in '08 the LMS in Europe). But those ALMS seasons had 11-12 races (similar to today), but the big enduros for the ALMS were Sebring and PLM, though they did also have two 4 hour races those years (Road America and Laguna Seca, as well as Le Mans, which was an optional, non-points round).



In the Weathertech Series this year, you had a 12 hour, a 10 hour, a 6 hour, a 8 hour, and a 24 hour race. But where do you make the cut? Sebring and PLM are legacy races from the ALMS and IMSA GT for Sebring. Daytona and Watkins Glen are legacy races from Grand Am and IMSA GT. That leaves Indy, which has no pedigree for sportscar racing, let alone an enduro, and is presumably there due to Roger Penske (who owns IMS) paying for it and hence IMSA and maybe also NASCAR (IMSA's controlling owner) getting a kickback for it.


And also hinted, the other enduros are there due to being ALMS and Grand Am legacy events, all of which (even PLM to a degree) having roots in the old IMSA GT Championship. So they may be sort of sacred "crown jewel" events. But I don't think that IMSA would want to axe sprint races, either, due to getting lucrative contracts from track owners (as well as the fact that IMSA/NASCAR owns Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen and the lease to Sebring).

[TF110]

With the developments of Lamborghini's dropping the wec most-likely, will that help them step up to full season here? Or do we think they'll just stick with the endurance races only?

[GT3_Fan]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

PLM was for all IMSA classes (and ACO classes) when Don Panoz established it in 1998 as the penultimate round for the '98 IMSA GT Championship and pilot race for the ALMS. And unless IMSA defaults completely to ACO/FIA regs, it, Daytona and Sebring will be the closest we'll be getting to having Le Mans style sportscar racing in North America.


And yes, the preponderance of enduros does jack up the budget. I already posted in another thread that the factory Audi Sport program for the Audi R10 in the ALMS in 2006-2008 was $15 million USD for the program. That was for a two car team with fully proprietary cars and in a more open form of the LMP1/LMH/GTP rules cycle (though Audi Sport's overall sportscar budget was much bigger than that if you include testing, Le Mans and in '08 the LMS in Europe). But those ALMS seasons had 11-12 races (similar to today), but the big enduros for the ALMS were Sebring and PLM, though they did also have two 4 hour races those years (Road America and Laguna Seca, as well as Le Mans, which was an optional, non-points round).



In the Weathertech Series this year, you had a 12 hour, a 10 hour, a 6 hour, a 8 hour, and a 24 hour race. But where do you make the cut? Sebring and PLM are legacy races from the ALMS and IMSA GT for Sebring. Daytona and Watkins Glen are legacy races from Grand Am and IMSA GT. That leaves Indy, which has no pedigree for sportscar racing, let alone an enduro, and is presumably there due to Roger Penske (who owns IMS) paying for it and hence IMSA and maybe also NASCAR (IMSA's controlling owner) getting a kickback for it.


And also hinted, the other enduros are there due to being ALMS and Grand Am legacy events, all of which (even PLM to a degree) having roots in the old IMSA GT Championship. So they may be sort of sacred "crown jewel" events. But I don't think that IMSA would want to axe sprint races, either, due to getting lucrative contracts from track owners (as well as the fact that IMSA/NASCAR owns Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen and the lease to Sebring).

Indeed adding Indy as an "enduro" threw things for a loop hasn't it. So yes maybe GTD Pro, GTD Am, and LMP2 only need to be in 4 of them.

[tomcug]

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/p...-for-rolex-24/
MSR/Acura are serious, excellent lineups.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by tomcug

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/p...-for-rolex-24/
MSR/Acura are serious, excellent lineups.

Dare I say the best endurance driver lineups in IMSA? There's only Porsche I can think of that are on the same level.


For everything negative you can say about MSR, they have stellar drivers for a number of years.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by J Jay

Dare I say the best endurance driver lineups in IMSA? There's only Porsche I can think of that are on the same level.


For everything negative you can say about MSR, they have stellar drivers for a number of years.

Not having Ganassi in the class has freed up a couple of talented drivers to say the least!

[broadrun96]

Ford running a broom through the IMSA driver offices

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/f...neup-for-2025/

Hand, Mueller and Tincknell out, Priaulx, Mies and Vervisch in. Only Rocky staying from last season. Endurance drivers of Ben Barker and Dennis Olsen

All 3 remain as Multimatic drivers, Mueller likely to HRT in Europe, Tincknell might head to Aston Valkyrie WEC, Hand stays as Ford Performance driver.

[Ferrari333SP]

Aston Martin already sounding glorious on the banks of Daytona

[Ferrari333SP]

Short clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/4fPQBeVEZ...UiKxDpdSHlrAxi

[TF110]

Our friend Lanky Turtle has a video, great looking car!

[Adam43]

I have a hot take on that. And it’s not one of those someone can’t drive hot takes it’s a real one.

It’s the Aston isn’t a great looking car.

Cool, fantastic, interesting, fun, ace, but not great looking. It’s all missing bits. Now the missing bits are important, but don’t make it a looker.

[TF110]

Maybe you'll like it better with an actual livery on it

[flatlandsman]

He will only like it better when he can create a graph and data about it

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by TF110

Our friend Lanky Turtle has a video, great looking car!

This has been pretty muffled right? Doesn't sound anywhere near as glorious as it did in that Donington testing video. Running a different spec in North America, or just a necessary evil of homologation?

[tomcug]

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/b...-daytona-test/
2024 wasn't too good for BMW in top class, maybe in 2025 they improve with updates on the car. Speaking of GTD PRO, I wonder if Pfaff stay for 2025, clearly due to budget issues they have. Still, not a bad field with two car efforts from BMW, Chervolet and Ford + single car customer entries from AO (Porsche) and Vasser Sullivan (Lexus). Best case scenario, if Pfaff survive and Lambo upgrade to full season due to their WEC leave, that's a very solid field.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by TF110

Maybe you'll like it better with an actual livery on it

That could be it.

Originally Posted by flatlandsman

He will only like it better when he can create a graph and data about it

I don’t think you understand how those graphs work. The charts just help you understand how it is performing and how the race developed.

But maybe you can help, what color should it appear as on those charts?

Originally Posted by Simmi

This has been pretty muffled right? Doesn't sound anywhere near as glorious as it did in that Donington testing video. Running a different spec in North America, or just a necessary evil of homologation?

Or of making it go quicker

[v8supes]

Originally Posted by Simmi

This has been pretty muffled right? Doesn't sound anywhere near as glorious as it did in that Donington testing video. Running a different spec in North America, or just a necessary evil of homologation?

Yeah 100%, it doesnt sound anywhere near as good as in the first test. Shame really.